Aranya Kanda · Sarga 28 of 76 · 33 verses
Rama Against Khara
Seeing Dushana killed in battle together with Trishiras, even Khara feels fear at Rama’s valour. Seeing that the unbearable, mighty rakshasa army, Dushana and Trishiras too, have been killed by Rama alone, the rakshasa, dejected at seeing his army mostly destroyed, comes at Rama as Namuci came at Vasava. Drawing his mighty bow, Khara hurls blood-drinking iron arrows at Rama like angry venomous snakes. Twanging his bowstring again and again, showing his weapons with skill, Khara moves about the battlefield in his chariot by the paths of archery. The great chariot-warrior fills all the directions and intermediate directions with arrows; seeing this, Rama too, with his very great bow, makes the sky gapless with unbearable arrows like sparking fires, like a rain-cloud with its showers. The sky all round, filled with sharp arrows released by Khara and Rama, becomes no sky, crowded with arrows everywhere. Covered by the net of arrows, the sun does not shine, as the two fight, each intent on killing the other. Then Khara strikes Rama in battle with nalika and naracha arrows and sharp barbed ones, like a great elephant with goads. All beings see the rakshasa standing in his chariot, bow in hand, like Death with the noose in his hand. Khara thinks Rama, slayer of his whole army, standing firm in his manhood, is exhausted. But Rama, seeing him advance like a lion, walking with a lion’s stride, is not troubled, as a lion is not troubled by a small deer. Then Khara comes at Rama in his great sun-like chariot, like a moth at a fire. Showing the lightness of his hand, Khara cuts the great-souled Rama’s bow, with its arrow, at the grip. Angry, he takes seven more arrows bright as Shakra’s thunderbolt and strikes him in the vital parts in battle. Then, striking Rama of matchless might with a thousand arrows, Khara roars a great roar in battle. Struck by Khara’s well-jointed arrows, Rama’s armour, bright as the sun, falls to the ground. Pierced with arrows in all his limbs, angry, Raghava shines in battle like a smokeless blazing fire.
Then Rama, slayer of enemies, to make an end of his enemy, strings another great bow with a deep twang: the great bow of Vishnu, given him by the great seer. Raising that excellent bow, he rushes at Khara. With gold-feathered, smooth-jointed arrows, angry Rama cuts Khara’s banner in battle. That handsome golden banner, cut in many pieces, falls to the earth like the sun at the command of the gods. Khara, angry, knowing the vital parts, pierces Rama’s limbs with four arrows, at the heart, like an elephant with lances. Pierced by many arrows from Khara’s bow, his limbs drenched in blood, Rama becomes very angry. Taking his bow in that supreme battle, the best of archers, the great bowman, releases six well-aimed arrows: one into the head, two into the arms, and three crescent-headed ones into the chest. Then, angry, the very splendid one strikes the rakshasa with thirteen iron arrows like the sun, sharpened on stone: with one he breaks the chariot’s yoke, with four the dappled horses, with the sixth he cuts off the head of Khara’s charioteer in battle; with three the mighty one cuts the three bamboo poles, with two the axle; with the twelfth arrow, like a thunderbolt, Raghava, as if laughing, cuts Khara’s bow with its arrow, and with the thirteenth, like Indra, he pierces Khara in battle. His bow broken, without chariot, his horses killed, his charioteer killed, Khara leaps down and stands on the ground, mace in hand. That deed of Rama, the great chariot-warrior, the gods and great seers, gathered, standing in their celestial chariots, honour with joined palms, delighted.
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निहतं दूषणं दृष्ट्वा रणे त्रिशिरसा सह । खरस्याप्यभवत् त्रासो दृष्ट्वा रामस्य विक्रमम् ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Dushana killed in battle together with Trishiras, fear came even to Khara, seeing Rama’s valour.
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Rama Against Khara 1 min read.
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स दृष्ट्वा राक्षसं सैन्यमविषह्यं महाबलम् । हतमेकेन रामेण दूषणस्त्रिशिरा अपि ॥ २ ॥
Seeing the rakshasa army, unbearable, very mighty, killed by Rama alone, and Dushana and Trishiras too,
तद्बलं हतभूयिष्ठं विमनाः प्रेक्ष्य राक्षसः । आससाद खरो रामं नमुचिर्वासवं यथा ॥ ३ ॥
the rakshasa, dejected, seeing that army mostly destroyed, Khara came at Rama, as Namuci came at Vasava.
विकृष्य बलवच्चापं नाराचान् रक्तभोजनान् । खरश्चिक्षेप रामाय क्रुद्धानाशीविषानिव ॥ ४ ॥
Drawing his mighty bow, Khara hurled at Rama iron arrows that feed on blood, like angry venomous snakes.
ज्यां विधुन्वन् सुबहुशः शिक्षयास्त्राणि दर्शयन् । चचार समरे मार्गान् शरै रथगतः खरः ॥ ५ ॥
Twanging his bowstring very many times, showing his weapons with skill, Khara, in his chariot, moved about the battle on the paths of arrows.
स सर्वाश्च दिशो बाणैः प्रदिशश्च महारथः । पूरयामास तं दृष्ट्वा रामोऽपि सुमहद् धनुः ॥ ६ ॥
The great chariot-warrior filled all the directions and intermediate directions with arrows. Seeing him, Rama too, with his very great bow,
स सायकैर्दुर्विषहैर्विस्फुलिङ्गैरिवाग्निभिः । नभश्चकाराविवरं पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिभिः ॥ ७ ॥
made the sky gapless with unbearable arrows like fires with sparks, like a rain-cloud with its showers.
तद् बभूव शितैर्बाणैः खररामविसर्जितैः । पर्याकाशमनाकाशं सर्वतः शरसंकुलम् ॥ ८ ॥
With the sharp arrows released by Khara and Rama, the sky all round became no sky, filled with arrows on every side.
शरजालावृतः सूर्यो न तदा स्म प्रकाशते । अन्योन्यवधसंरम्भादुभयोः सम्प्रयुध्यतोः ॥ ९ ॥
Covered by the net of arrows, the sun did not shine then, as the two fought in their eagerness to kill each other.
ततो नालीकनाराचैस्तीक्ष्णाग्रैश्च विकर्णिभिः । आजघान रणे रामं तोत्रैरिव महाद्विपम् ॥ १० ॥
Then with nalikas and narachas, sharp-pointed and barbed, he struck Rama in battle, as one strikes a great elephant with goads.
तं रथस्थं धनुष्पाणिं राक्षसं पर्यवस्थितम् । ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि पाशहस्तमिवान्तकम् ॥ ११ ॥
All beings saw that rakshasa standing in his chariot, bow in hand, ready, like Death with the noose in his hand.
हन्तारं सर्वसैन्यस्य पौरुषे पर्यवस्थितम् । परिश्रान्तं महासत्त्वं मेने रामं खरस्तदा ॥ १२ ॥
Khara then thought Rama, the slayer of the whole army, standing firm in his manhood, of great strength, to be exhausted.
तं सिंहमिव विक्रान्तं सिंहविक्रान्तगामिनम् । दृष्ट्वा नोद्विजते रामः सिंहः क्षुद्रमृगं यथा ॥ १३ ॥
Seeing him advancing like a lion, walking with a lion’s gait, Rama was not troubled, as a lion is not troubled by a small deer.
ततः सूर्यनिकाशेन रथेन महता खरः । आससादाथ तं रामं पतङ्ग इव पावकम् ॥ १४ ॥
Then Khara, with his great chariot like the sun, came at that Rama, like a moth at a fire.
ततोऽस्य सशरं चापं मुष्टिदेशे महात्मनः । खरश्चिच्छेद रामस्य दर्शयन् हस्तलाघवम् ॥ १५ ॥
Then Khara cut the great-souled Rama’s bow with its arrow at the grip, showing the lightness of his hand.
स पुनस्त्वपरान् सप्त शरानादाय मर्मणि । निजघान रणे क्रुद्धः शक्राशनिसमप्रभान् ॥ १६ ॥
And again, taking seven more arrows, with the splendour of Shakra’s thunderbolt, he struck him in the vital parts in battle, angry.
ततः शरसहस्रेण राममप्रतिमौजसम् । अर्दयित्वा महानादं ननाद समरे खरः ॥ १७ ॥
Then, having struck Rama of matchless might with a thousand arrows, Khara roared a great roar in battle.
ततस्तत्प्रहतं बाणैः खरमुक्तैः सुपर्वभिः । पपात कवचं भूमौ रामस्यादित्यवर्चसम् ॥ १८ ॥
Then, struck by the well-jointed arrows released by Khara, Rama’s armour, with the splendour of the sun, fell to the ground.
स शरैरर्पितः क्रुद्धः सर्वगात्रेषु राघवः । रराज समरे रामो विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥ १९ ॥
Pierced with arrows in all his limbs, angry, Raghava Rama shone in battle like a smokeless blazing fire.
ततो गम्भीरनिर्ह्रादं रामः शत्रुनिबर्हणः । चकारान्ताय स रिपोः सज्यमन्यन्महद्धनुः ॥ २० ॥
Then Rama, slayer of enemies, strung another great bow with a deep twang, for the end of his enemy:
सुमहद् वैष्णवं यत् तदतिसृष्टं महर्षिणा । वरं तद् धनुरुद्यम्य खरं समभिधावत ॥ २१ ॥
that very great bow of Vishnu, given him by the great seer. Raising that excellent bow, he rushed at Khara.
ततः कनकपुङ्खैस्तु शरैः संनतपर्वभिः । चिच्छेद रामः संक्रुद्धः खरस्य समरे ध्वजम् ॥ २२ ॥
Then with gold-feathered, smooth-jointed arrows, Rama, very angry, cut Khara’s banner in battle.
स दर्शनीयो बहुधा विच्छिन्नः काञ्चनो ध्वजः । जगाम धरणीं सूर्यो देवतानामिवाज्ञया ॥ २३ ॥
That handsome golden banner, cut into many pieces, went to the earth like the sun at the command of the gods.
तं चतुर्भिः खरः क्रुद्धो रामं गात्रेषु मार्गणैः । विव्याध हृदि मर्मज्ञो मातङ्गमिव तोमरैः ॥ २४ ॥
Khara, angry, knowing the vital parts, pierced Rama in the limbs with four arrows, in the heart, as one pierces an elephant with lances.
स रामो बहुभिर्बाणैः खरकार्मुकनिःसृतैः । विद्धो रुधिरसिक्ताङ्गो बभूव रुषितो भृशम् ॥ २५ ॥
That Rama, pierced by many arrows released from Khara’s bow, his limbs sprinkled with blood, became very angry.
स धनुर्धन्विनां श्रेष्ठः संगृह्य परमाहवे । मुमोच परमेष्वासः षट् शरानभिलक्षितान् ॥ २६ ॥
Grasping his bow in that supreme battle, the best of bowmen, the great archer, released six well-aimed arrows.
शिरस्येकेन बाणेन द्वाभ्यां बाह्वोरथार्पयत् । त्रिभिश्चन्द्रार्धवक्त्रैश्च वक्षस्यभिजघान ह ॥ २७ ॥
He struck one arrow into the head, two into the arms, and three crescent-headed ones into the chest.
ततः पश्चान्महातेजा नाराचान् भास्करोपमान् । जघान राक्षसं क्रुद्धस्त्रयोदश शिलाशितान् ॥ २८ ॥
Then afterwards, the very splendid one, angry, struck the rakshasa with thirteen iron arrows like the sun, sharpened on stone.
रथस्य युगमेकेन चतुर्भिः शबलान् हयान् । षष्ठेन च शिरः संख्ये चिच्छेद खरसारथेः ॥ २९ ॥
With one the yoke of the chariot, with four the dappled horses, and with the sixth he cut off the head of Khara’s charioteer in battle.
त्रिभिस्त्रिवेणून् बलवान् द्वाभ्यामक्षं महाबलः । द्वादशेन तु बाणेन खरस्य सशरं धनुः ॥ ३० ॥
With three the mighty one cut the three poles, with two the axle, the very mighty one; and with the twelfth arrow Khara’s bow with its arrow,
छित्त्वा वज्रनिकाशेन राघवः प्रहसन्निव । त्रयोदशेनेन्द्रसमो बिभेद समरे खरम् ॥ ३१ ॥
having cut it with one like a thunderbolt, Raghava, as if laughing, with the thirteenth, like Indra, pierced Khara in battle.
प्रभग्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः । गदापाणिरवप्लुत्य तस्थौ भूमौ खरस्तदा ॥ ३२ ॥
His bow broken, without chariot, his horses killed, his charioteer killed, Khara then leapt down, mace in hand, and stood on the ground.
तत् कर्म रामस्य महारथस्य समेत्य देवाश्च महर्षयश्च । अपूजयन् प्राञ्जलयः प्रहृष्टा- स्तदा विमानाग्रगताः समेताः ॥ ३३ ॥
That deed of Rama, the great chariot-warrior, the gods and the great seers, gathered, standing on the tops of their celestial chariots, honoured then with joined palms, delighted.